Master of Science - Thesis

Program Overview

Graduate students in the Animal Science program would work on advancing scientific knowledge and fundamental understanding of areas such as reproductive biology and nutritional metabolism. Students would develop new processes and technologies for profitable and environmentally-friendly animal production and management. The discovery and dissemination of principles of animal behavior through the study of both livestock and companion animals are also fundamental activities in this program.

Graduate students in the Rangeland Ecology and Management program would work on advancing scientific knowledge of rangeland ecosystems through the acquisition of fundamental understanding in areas such as rangeland ecology, physiology of rangeland plants, and grazing management. Students would also integrate and disseminate knowledge on wildlife habitat, invasive species, fire ecology, watershed management, ecological restoration, and riparian ecology to benefit domestic and international settings.

Animal Science PhD candidates may focus their program in any one of the following areas:

Animal Genetics

Reproductive Physiology

Embryo Physiology

Animal Nutrition

Growth and Development

Endocrinology

Nutritional Biochemistry

Animal Behavior

Livestock Management

Dairy Production

Rangeland Science PhD candidates may focus their program in any one of the following areas:

Ecology of Rangelands

Physiological Ecology

Range Improvement

Range Nutrition

Riparian Zone Management

Watershed Management

Researchers & Facilities

Our programs are supported by modern laboratories, field stations, and centralized farm services. The department has extensive livestock and poultry facilities within two miles of campus, including a high-producing dairy herd, two beef barns with a capacity for 125-head, a small confinement swine unit, horse research barns, and poultry flocks. Our sheep center is five miles from campus. We also have two beef ranches (cow-calf), located about twenty minutes from campus. A modern physiology lab has surgical facilities for cattle, sheep, and swine. A meat processing laboratory is also available on campus. Additionally, graduate students have access to off-campus facilities of the Agricultural Experiment Station in the rangelands of eastern Oregon. Our department is also supported by the Center for Gene Research and Biotechnology, Laboratory Animal Resources, the OSU Radiation Center, an inter-state library, and University Computing Services. The English Language Institute provides international students with the language, academic, and cultural skills necessary for study at an American university.

Click here for a list of current lines of research and associated faculty.

Graduate Student Resources

Graduate student references are available for more information from both the department and from the OSU Graduate School: